


My Life is (Not) a Fairytale

by Aurrus



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Frostiron Bang 2014, Loki is a hooker, M/M, but he totally loves it, kind of, pretty woman!AU, warning: prostitution
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-31
Updated: 2014-10-31
Packaged: 2018-02-23 10:01:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2543492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aurrus/pseuds/Aurrus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pretty Woman!AU, because there's never too much of that. Basically, that's all you need to know about this story.<br/>Or, where Loki is a prostitute, Tony is, well, Tony, and what was supposed to be one week of business with some streaks of pleasure is possibly so much more than either of them could expect.</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Life is (Not) a Fairytale

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rubberbandgirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubberbandgirl/gifts).



> It started god knows how long ago when Dee first suggested that there needed to be a Pretty Woman!AU in frostiron fandom; and thought the plot is hardly uncommon, I've never seen an actual retelling of the movie before and decided that it was worth to give it a try, so.
> 
> Whether or not it turned out to be good is up to you! It mostly follows the movie, though not line-by-line, and some scenes are missing because they didn't fit in, but hopefully it didn't affect the fic.
> 
> Huge thanks to my lovely artist, Staubengel, who did an amazing picture (http://staubengel.tumblr.com/post/101435922394/for-lovely-tonystarkfucksaround-and-her-amazing ) for the fic and supported me through it greatly <3

In hindsight, maybe Obie was right when he warned Tony against driving while being so... agitated. Not that he cared in the slightest at that moment - he just wanted to get away from that party, from people who were supposed to be his friends and from ever so loyal ‘I-only-have-your-best-interests-in-mind-Tony’ Obadiah.

“Fuck,” Tony growled, punching the wheel and glaring at his dead phone. He had no idea where he was; with his phone without its charger the navigator was out of question, and he glared at the mostly empty street.

Still, it was better than smile at each and every face at that party and listen how he was spending more time at work than at home from his lover of the month. Damn straight he was; he didn’t need a love life, and the reason she talked to Pepper more often than to him, as she claimed, probably had something to do with Pepper nagging him about how he needed someone to date for his public image.

Well, he’d find someone else. Later. For a couple of months at least now he could probably pull the mourning act and only have one-night stands instead of anything more solid.

Tony sighed and ruffled his hair, turning the corner. That settled, he still needed to get the fuck out of here, whenever ‘here’ was.

The street he drove into was brighter and livelier than the previous one; with some luck he could probably find somebody willing to give him necessary directions.

~*~

The night couldn’t have started worse.

Or maybe it could; that was a given, wasn’t it? It was never _too_ bad, no matter what, everything could always get worse. Not that it helped to lift the spirits.

Even with that philosophy in mind, Loki had what seemed to be a really sucky night. One of the girls from their place was found dead earlier that evening, and while Loki never particularly cared for her - he wasn’t sure they’ve ever talked to each other - he still knew her and felt kind of bad because of her death. Or maybe it was the knowledge that it could happen to him just as easily - one night he was there, and the next evening his body was found in a trashcan on the very same street.

To top it all with something far less abstract and far more urgent, there was no money to pay rent and he had to sneak out from the apartment he shared with Darcy through the fire escape not to get caught by the landlord - it was a miracle they still were allowed to live there considering what they did for life, so there was really no need to piss him off more than necessary by trying to explain that no, he didn’t forget he was supposed to pay tonight, and yes, he _had_ money, but no, he had no idea where they disappeared.

Well, actually, he had some idea. It’s not like there was a lot of options there: their crappy apartment wasn’t likely to attract any kind of robbers, at least those who still had some dignity left, and he surely didn’t forget the place where they hid money.

Which meant…

“Darcy,” Loki hissed, yanking the girl from where she was leaning at the bar. Hid friend giggled and lifted her eyes, throwing her arms around his neck and trying to kiss him. He made a face and turned away from a familiarly scented huff of breath.

“Hi, beautiful,” Darcy singsang, grinning widely. “What’s up?”

“Darcy, where’s the money?” he tried his best strict voice, but knew that he sounded more exasperated than angry. Why did he even bother with asking? It was obvious from the moment he came into the club and saw Darcy with Amora, who grinned at him and shrugged, faking innocence. Loki sneered and turned away from the blonde, leading Darcy away.

“Why are you so boring,” she pouted, grabbing a handful of doritos from a bowl on the bar as Loki walked her to the exit. “We pay rent every month, but we only buy weed… fuck, I don’t even know when was the last time I smoked - anyway, you need to spoil yourself once in a while!” she tried to pinch his cheek, but missed as Loki dodged away. She opted for punching his shoulder lightly instead.

"Because we need to live somewhere,” Loki said coldly. “And you don’t _need_ to smoke.”

“‘Course I do! Well… I want to. Sometimes. And I do what I want - hey, wasn’t it you who taught me that?” she giggled again and groaned when Loki rolled his eyes at her. “Don’t be a brat! Hey, did you hear about—”

“Your logic is deadly,” Loki muttered. “And yes, I did. Let’s just hope we won’t end up on the street after we can’t pay this month and finish like her.”

“Gee, Loki, don’t say it like that!” Darcy smacked him, and he glared at her, rubbing offended arm. “Anyway, she was cuckoo and an addict.”

“Who probably spent money on drugs rather than on living,” Loki pointed out, and Darcy smacked - or tried to - him again.

“Yeah, okay, got your point, no more weed. Spoilsport,” she poked her tongue at him as they paused at their corner.

Loki sighed and reached up to ruffle his hair - only to remember he had a wig on and wince. In all honesty, he preferred his own hair, but obviously a mane of unruly dark hair made him look ‘too dark and gloomy’ for a whore, so he had to stick to colorful wigs.

Sometimes he wondered how he ended up like this, selling his body on the street.

“Did you ever think of working with someone?” Darcy wondered aloud, not letting him dwell on his thoughts. “You know, Amora said she could help…”

“No,” Loki stated firmly, “absolutely not. We won’t pay her half of what we get for nothing.”

“Right,” Darcy slowly nodded and then smiled brightly. "We decide who, when and how much on our own. Just, you know, a passing thought."

“Right,” Loki agreed and returned his attention to the street.

“Whoa, would you look at that!” Darcy chirped again not five minutes later, and Loki followed the direction of her index finger with a mild amusement. This time, though, all Darcy’s general excitement aside, the exclamation was totally called for; the car that pulled into the street was far expensive than their usual share, and Loki had to stifle the urge to whistle with appreciation. It was also slowing down instead of speeding up, which was a good sign - for them, at least. Loki could already see a few other girls from across the street stopping idle conversations and watching the car intently.

As if Darcy would let them. This was their place; they were the first ones to approach possible clients.

“Go,” Darcy hissed and shoved him in the direction of a car.

“Somehow I doubt he’s looking for a man,” Loki chuckled, shaking his head, which only got him a more insistent shove.

“Don’t think, go! He’s here now, right? Not in some fancy hotel with an escort, and if he’s picky, you call me, problem solved,” she smiled brilliantly, and Loki huffed, defeated. Irritating as she was, he loved this woman - in a perfectly platonic sense, mind you, but still.

He walked to the car just as it pulled to a stop.

“Want some company?” he purred, leaning to look inside the car.

The man at the wheel - a handsome man, Loki noted with satisfaction - frowned at him and slowly nodded.

“Actually,” and just as Loki prepared to celebrate a good catch, added, “I could use some help, yeah - any idea how I get to Beverly Hills from here?”

Loki bit the inside of his cheek to keep possible disappointment from reaching his face. The man was not just handsome - he was really handsome, the kind he’d jump in bed with without second thoughts the moment he saw him, had they met at the party or in the club and... not at work. He had dark hair with a touch of a careless look, which was actually pretty hard to achieve, and a neatly styled goatee; sharp features and dark eyes and what looked like a really expensive suit completed the look.

He was I’d-love-to-do-you-for-free handsome, but Loki was supposed to think of the money he wouldn’t get, not fantasize about the man who didn’t even want him.

“Sure,” he said nonchalantly and grinned. “Twenty bucks, and I’ll show you the most picturesque route.” If he wasn’t getting any action, sure he deserved to get petty.

The man lifted an eyebrow, more amused than annoyed, and Loki found himself grinning.

“Twenty-five, if you’re going to stare and waste my time,” he added, and it won him a chuckle.

“You’d better be one hell of a guide for such price,” he said and reached to open the passenger’s door, and then for his wallet to snatch out a twenty. Loki smiled triumphantly.

“My prices are high,” he admitted lightly, taking the money from his hand and hiding it in his pocket before fastening the seatbelt. “But trust me, I’m worth it.”

Even though he probably couldn’t hear it, he could guess the whoop Darcy gave him as the car slowly pulled out.

“What’s your name?” the man wondered as Loki gave him directions. Loki rolled a shoulder and smiled with a corner of his mouth.

“Whatever you want it to be, baby,” he said playfully and rolled his eyes at the bitch face he got. “Loki. And you?”

The doubt was still on the handsome face - he could sympathize: most of his acquaintances, not just clients, were sure it wasn’t his real name, because who the fuck calls their child Loki? That was one of the reasons he never thought about getting another name to present - but the man seemed to shrug it off.

“Whatever you want it to be,” he snorted, repeating Loki’s earlier offer, and beamed at Loki’s stunned expression. “See? That sounds stupid. I’m Tony.”

“And here I thought I got to call you Poopsy-bear,” Loki deadpanned.

Tony laughed.

Loki decided he loved the sound and mentally slapped himself.

The thing was, Loki loved sex and didn’t really feel like sticking with one person only. Darcy was pretty much the same; had she not come up with this idea, they would’ve probably worked in some boring store and still spent most of their nights in different beds with different people. This was convenient, really; they both fed their libidos just fine and got paid for it, too.

But it was business. Loki could choose his clients and pick a price and get off from it as well, but it didn’t mean it was about him and his feelings, for the lack of better word. He couldn’t allow himself to get carried away.

Still, Tony was... fine. Better than any clients he had for the past year or so, actually; maybe (probably) it had something to do with the fact that he wasn’t interested in Loki that way, and even with that in mind Loki couldn’t help but like him. He didn’t have many friends (none, in fact, aside from Darcy), and most people never spared him a second glance if it wasn’t one full of annoyance and/or disgust as they realized what he was.

Tony, on the other hand, didn’t seem to care in the slightest that he was taking directions from a street whore.

Not that Loki looked bad, he thought with a trace of anxiety; no, he looked... well, like a whore, and it was one hundred percent intentionally, but at least he looked like a good whore. Maybe not an escort service, but he wasn’t lying when he said he was worth a high price.

“That’s you,” he pointed out unnecessarily as they pulled to a stop in front of a hotel that was Tony’s destination.

“Yeah,” Tony nodded and gave him a funny look. They both left a car and Tony gave the keys to a valet. “So... You gonna head back?”

“Probably, yes,” Loki eyed the hotel with a doubt and made a face, refusing to admit he was slightly uncomfortable here. "Don’t think anyone here will want my services," he added with a chuckle.

Tony grinned, nodding with understanding, and put his hands in his pockets, absently rolling on his feet. He didn’t seem to be in a hurry to get inside.

“So,” he said again, silently following Loki to the bench at the bus station.

Loki quirked an eyebrow, leaning on the bench and crossing his arms across his chest.

“So?”

“How high exactly are your prices?” Tony blurted, and Loki fought to keep his expression calm. He felt his stomach twist with knots in anticipation - and pleasure as he realized that the funny looks Tony gave him were, in fact, appreciation.

He hummed, thinking of an answer.

“One hundred,” he finally offered, “for an hour.” And had to bit his tongue to keep from adding that he was willing to bargain.

That didn’t seem to become an issue, though.

“And you say you’re worth every penny?” Tony drawled, faking thoughtfulness, but it was obvious from his grin and the gleam in his eyes that he already made a decision.

“Well, one way to find out,” Loki purred, once again taking a seductive stance.

“I guess you’re right,” Tony smirked and nodded in the direction of hotel’s entrance. Loki followed him readily, gathering as much confidence as he could get. So what if the cheapest room in this place probably cost more for one night than him monthly rent; no big deal. He never exactly cared about his surroundings and certainly wasn’t about to start now.

Still, he would be lying if he said it wasn’t at all… intimidating inside.

The place was outright luxurious. Loki thought he had only seen such receptions in movies; on a few occasions he was taken to the hotel it had never been anything remotely nice, and back then he thought he got lucky to be treated like that.

Now, though, not so much. He discreetly pinched his arm to get rid of the ridiculous idea that it was all a dream.

The hotel stuff wasn’t even looking at him - Loki got maybe two looks in total until it registered in their minds that he was with Tony, and just like that, he was spared from all the unnecessary attention. He wondered who the hell was Tony as the man got the keys to his - their, if only for one night - room and led him to the elevator.

Among the fine-suited stuff and a couple of other guests dressed in clothes that just screamed of its prices Loki felt ridiculously uneasy. He had never been the one to be ashamed of himself, and he wasn’t ashamed now, but the feeling of… not belonging was strong, and he had to grit his teeth to bit it back at least a little.

The elevator stopped, and he blinked. Top floor; but _of course_ it would be a top floor.

“Ta-daa,” Tony grinned, walking backwards to the doors of the only room there. “Ever been in pent-house before?”

“Sure,” Loki waved a hand dismissively, trying for an unamused look. “Just a couple of weeks ago, this very same suit. And before that quite a few times, yes.”

Tony eyed him with some doubt, and Loki couldn’t tell straight away if he saw right through his lies or actually believed him. Whatever the answer was, Tony seemed to brush it away, instead opting for opening the doors and letting Loki inside at last.

If the hall at the hotel was impressive, then this suit was beyond stunning. Loki hoped Tony didn’t notice how his breath hitched with a surprise for a fraction of second.

It was a big room - no, wrong word. It was _huge_. Twice or even thrice as big as his whole apartment; Loki knew he was being unreasonable, yet it was so easy to get lost in luxury that this place seemed to promise.

There was a soft chuckle behind him, and he startled.

“I take it you like it?” Tony curiously wondered - there wasn’t any malice or a trace of bad intentions in his voice, no, he sounded generously curious as he leaned on the couch, watching Loki.

Loki shrugged.

“It will do,” he said, and couldn’t stop a smile at the way Tony rolled his eyes at him.

He tried to shake of the trance that overcame him. He was here for business.

“So,” Loki prompted, slowly walking towards Tony, eyes half-closed and seductive smile playing on his lips. Tony still watched him. “Anything you want me to do?”

“Um.”

Whatever Tony was - or wasn’t, considering the way he seemed to lose his confidence at once as Loki approached - going to say, it was lost when a knock came on the door.

Loki reluctantly pulled away and went to open it since Tony made no move to do so, his eyes slowly trailing after Loki.

Loki made sure to move as smoothly as was physically possible and was almost certain he heard Tony gulp.

“Champagne?” the hotel worker showed him a metal basket when Loki finally pushed the door open and stepped aside to let the man inside. He sent Tony an incredulous look and got a smug smile in answer, which wasn’t an answer at all.

“Okay,” he said once they were left alone. “Who the hell are you?”

Tony chuckled, taking one of high glasses and filling it to the brim with a sparkling wine. Loki felt his mouth water and dropped on the floor at the pretense of taking of his boots to give himself something to do.

It didn’t stop Tony from shoving the said glass in his hands, though.

“Does it really matter?” Tony shrugged and unleashed his tie a little before walking to what looked like a typical office desk, complete with some papers and folds on it.

“Guess not,” Loki had to admit. He sipped from his glass and let out a low hum of appreciation at the taste. “What are you doing?”

“Have some work to do, actually,” Tony muttered from the table. He rubbed at his temples and frowned, eyes moving swiftly over some piece of paper.

Loki sighed and got up.

“I thought you wanted to do me,” he reminded Tony as he got closer, leaning with one hip at the table. “Isn’t that why I’m here?”

He felt his stomach twist unpleasantly at the thought that he’d have to leave now - it would’ve been better had he left from the start, but now, having seen the insides of this place…

He wanted - needed - to feel it as well.

“Yeah,” Tony agreed absently. “That’s right.”

“Hey,” Loki tugged at his sleeve sharply. That, at least, got him some of desired attention back. “Maybe it would be better if you paid me first? Pretty as you are, I’m not doing charity and certainly not wasting my time for free.”

“You think I’m pretty?” Tony suddenly grinned. “Okay then. What do you think of spending a whole night here, then? Can’t be bad, huh?”

Loki’s first thought was to say yes; of _course_ he had to say yes - it meant more money and, unwilling to admit that as he was, it also meant more time with Tony, which also was… fine.

He did think about it, though. This man was doing something to him; whatever it was, he was feeling it, and not like he felt anything else before, and it was merely half an hour since they’ve met. Half an hour spent on the road. Half an hour spent bickering and flirting - and Tony hadn’t even paid him or offered to then, not until just shy of five minutes ago.

If _this_ was an effect he got after half an hour… maybe spending a night wasn’t the best idea.

But one thing Loki was absolutely terrible at was denying himself from the things he wanted.

And right now he wanted to stay.

“I think it would cost more than one hour,” he slowly licked his lips, watching Tony intently. Tony’s warm eyes darkened and flickered to his lips and back before he grinned once again and shrugged like it was not a problem.

For him, it probably wasn’t.

“How much?”

Loki contemplated. He wanted to be daring, but didn’t want to be too insolent; with Tony, though, it was getting harder and harder to tell the two from each other.

“Five hundred,” he muttered at last, almost sure that Tony would frown or that his face would lose its flawless relaxed mask.

Nothing like that happened. Instead, Tony’s grin only became broader, and he caught Loki’s hand in his.

“Deal,” he cheered with an air of a man who was all too sure in what he was doing and what he was going to get.

He knew what he wanted, Loki realized. He knew what he wanted and knew that he would get it one way or another. He worked for it; he was ready to fight for it, it was clear in his eyes and in his expression, and even though now might’ve not been the time for any of that, he was used to it.

It sent a thrill over his body, and Loki smiled tightly at Tony as he let go of his hand to reach for his wallet once again.

Honestly, money was the farthest thing on his mind right now. Maybe later, basking in memories of the night, it would finally get to him that he managed to make half a thousand dollars in one single night, but for now Loki could hardly think of anything else but the warm eyes right in front of him.

“Okay,” he said, slightly breathless, carelessly shoving money in the back pocket of his tight jeans and trailing one hand down the front on Tony’s shirt. “Now… I do pretty much anything that doesn’t usually need a trigger warning, but no surprises - I’d like to know what you’re going to do before you do it and I always get to say no, no matter how much money you pay me. I don’t like something, you get your money back and I leave. You try to stop me, you get that money somewhere you really don’t want it to be.”

With each word it was getting easier to speak; he slowly slid back into familiar businesslike attitude. Tony frowned as if he wanted to protest, but Loki didn’t let him interrupt.

“I don’t care if you’re clean and if you have a certificate to prove it - we’re using protection, you don’t like it…”

“You leave,” Tony said, scowling, and Loki paused to let him speak his mind. Maybe he was going to say that Loki was far too demanding for a street whore; better hear it out now than waste any more time and breath, then. “I got it, Loki. If I’m willing to pay you five hundred for one night, it doesn’t make me a bastard or a pervert straight away. You say stop, we stop; no need to clarify that, why would you - actually, no, I don’t want to know what made you speak about it at all.”

He looked miserable and like he might’ve get sick; suffice to say, that wasn’t a reaction that Loki expected. He chuckled softly and turned Tony’s face back to him with two fingers on his chin.

“Relax, Tony,” he purred. “That’s just a precaution. There’s no need for something bad to happen to become careful. I prefer to make my ground clear and stay safe, is all.”

That, at least, seemed to put Tony slightly more at ease. He slowly nodded and relaxed; Loki stroked his cheek and quirked an eyebrow.

“One more thing,” he whispered just as Tony leaned closer to better hear him. “I don’t kiss on the mouth,” he added in a full voice, and Tony’s lips twitched in a smile.

“That’s fair,” Tony hummed and nodded… and pulled away just as Loki made a motion to reach for his belt. “Nuh-uh, the night is still young and I still have some work to do. Make yourself at home, I’ll join you as soon as I finish here.”

“Why can’t your work wait?” Loki pouted, crossing his arms on his chest, but obediently walked away, taking a cool bottle of champagne with him. If Tony wanted to spend the night working, fine; he had already paid, and it would be his loss if he missed the opportunity to actually have something more solid than Loki’s presence for that money.

It’s not like Loki cared.

He huffed and took another look around the room, absently picking a strawberry from a fruit plate that came with champagne and nibbling on it; all things considered, it would be nice to spend a night here even if nothing happened with Tony. Despite the simple fact that there’s no place better than home, this suit was, in fact, far better than his apartment, and not only because it was larger. For one, it was soundproof; or maybe it was the height of the building, but the busy noise from the street didn’t reach the room. For another…

Loki felt another pleasant shiver as he glanced into the bathroom. He took a shower before leaving, of course - a mostly cold, without a proper water pressure, completely unsatisfying shower – so it wasn’t like he needed to have one now, but boy, was he looking forward to getting into that tub later.

He clicked his tongue and poked it at his molars, brows furrowing at the nasty feeling of strawberry seeds that stuck between his teeth.

“I’m going to the bathroom,” he announced, got a faint grunt of acknowledgment from Tony in the background and went inside, turning on the light and looking at his reflection in the mirror.

As usual, the wig weirded him out for a second; he still wasn’t used to seeing himself with a short strawberry-blond hair, but Darcy kept on insisting that it made him look much younger and more innocent, and thus much more appealing for potential clients. She swore that he could even get straight men fall for him like that.

He didn’t believe her for a second, mind you, but it _did_ seem to be working just fine, so he let his frown fall off and sighed, keeping his hand from twisting a lock on a finger.

Weird as it was to see himself with unnatural hairstyle, Loki decided, after checking himself with a critical eye, that he looked great. A white button-up, tied on his stomach, complimented his lean form the same way tight black jeans emphasized his ass; it wasn’t possible for Tony not to want him – basically, it was out of the question since he has already voiced his desire to spend time with Loki and paid him in advance.

It was stupid to be anxious. Loki shook his head and reached inside his bag with a sigh.

“Hey,” a voice suddenly said from the door, and he nearly dropped a dental floss from surprise. He turned sharply to look at Tony, instinctively hiding it behind his back.

Tony frowned, immediately catching up on a gesture.

“What’s that?” he demanded, and Loki scowled at him. What did the man think he was doing, bursting into the bathroom like that when it was occupied?

“Nothing,” he bit back, probably more stubbornly than he should have, because Tony’s frown deepened and he stepped inside.

“Listen, I don’t need a junkie here,” he snapped, grabbing his arm, and Loki had to stumble forward, not expecting the move. He raised both eyebrows incredulously, yanking his arm free. An addict?.. “I’m not going to - okay, just, just take your things and money and leave, I don’t…”

“I don’t do drugs!” Loki gasped, finally finding his ground, and glared at Tony, slapping the hand that tried to reach for him again.

“Oh yes? Than what is…”

“A dental floss!” he very nearly shoved the said object in Tony’s faced, which made the man blink and back off, anger on his face changing with confusion. “Happy now? I’m not an addict,” he spat out and bit his tongue just in time not to say anything else.

No revelations about his tragic past to a man who he had nothing to do with aside from… business. Even less so - to a man who jumped to the worst conclusions.

“If I’m willing to sell my body to the kind of you,” he added venomously in a mock parody of Tony’s earlier words, and thought bitterly that the man could have fooled him to believe that he was, in fact, different, not five minutes ago, “it doesn’t make me a drug addict straight away.”

Tony blinked at him, slowly, and lowered his gaze. Oh, _now_ he looked guilty.

“Sorry,” he muttered, clearly uncomfortable, and Loki grinned with a dark satisfaction. “I - yeah. Right.”

“You going to stand there all night?” Loki prompted when Tony made no move to leave, and he jerked slightly, once again staring at Loki as if he forgot he was there. Loki rolled his eyes. “Some privacy would be nice, if you didn’t get it from the first time I said I was going to use a bathroom.”

“Yeah,” Tony said again and waved a hand awkwardly. “Just, you know, wanted to make sure you were fine.”

“And?”

“Huh?”

“And what’s the conclusion? Am I fine?” Loki asked, irritated. He certainly _didn’t_ let Tony’s words get to him. Maybe his intentions _were_ , after all, good, but it didn’t excuse him, not really.

“I guess so,” Tony said after a small pause, ran his fingers through his unruly hair - huh, so maybe it wasn’t styled to look like that, after all - and smiled weakly. “Then I’ll just - leave you to it.”

He didn’t wait for Loki’s response and closed the door shut after him.

Loki stared at it for a minute before finally getting to floss his teeth.

~*~

To say the least, the night wasn’t going as planned… at all.

It’s not that Loki had much of a plan, but he could make a few guesses about what was going to happen – and even with Tony being a weirdo obviously married to his job taken into account his not-plan included sex.

Probably lots of it.

Instead, two and a half hours into the night, Loki found himself sitting on an expensive carpet in front of the equally expensive TV-set, watching some silly show and finishing the bottle of champagne on his own. At some point Tony migrated from his precious work-table to the couch not far from Loki, though he only paid the TV occasional glances – most of his attention was now preoccupied by a tablet in his hands.

Loki still hasn’t decided whether to be amused or annoyed and maybe even offended by that.

He had no idea who Tony was and what was so important about his work, but had to admit that Tony made quite a sight like that. He was far more interesting than a TV-show; his eyes focused and his look so intense – Loki couldn’t help but wonder if Tony was like that during sex and wish he’d find out later.

It was maybe another half an hour before he finally heard a soft thump of a tablet hitting the other end of the couch and a tired sigh. He smiled slyly and muted the TV, turning to look at Tony.

“Are you finished now?”

“Impatient,” Tony chuckled, stretching, and patted the couch, clearly inviting Loki to join him. “I thought I paid for your time?”

Loki got up as sensually as he could (and as the champagne in him would allow it) and slowly walked towards Tony, ignoring the free space besides him and sliding into his lap instead. He hummed, twining his arms around Tony’s neck, and rocked a little.

“You did,” he agreed easily, dropping one hand to follow the buttons on Tony’s shirt, circling each one of them before undoing the top one and leaning forward to place a wet kiss at the base of his throat. “If you wanted my patience, though, you should’ve said so. I would have raised the price.”

It was Tony’s turn to laugh, and Loki nuzzled his neck, enjoying the vibrations.

“What do you want me to do now, Tony?” he purred when he reached Tony’s ear, flicking his lobe with the tip of his tongue.

Tony’s breath hitched, and his hands came to rest on Loki’s hips.

“Up to you,” he finally said, voice low and eyes dark. He wasn’t fully aroused yet, but he was getting there – Loki rolled his hips and grinned when Tony moaned softly, clutching at him tighter, his thumbs stroking the skin over the edge of his jeans.

Loki pondered his choices. It wasn’t that often – actually, almost never – that he got to choose what to do in bed, and now he was surprised by how many ideas he suddenly had.

How many things he wanted to do with Tony.

The desire pooled low in his belly, and he let out a soft, breathless moan of his own.

At least now the night was finally getting somewhere.

~*~

When Loki woke up, it was up to a bright sun warming up the exposed skin of his back, a most pleasant, satisfying ache in all the right places and a low murmur of somebody on the phone in the other room.

He yawned and stretched, marveling at how soft and vast the bed was and running his fingers absently through the mane of black hair, now blissfully free from where it was contained by the wig last night. He must have got rid of it automatically before he fell asleep – he didn’t remember Tony commenting on it while they were both awake and doubted that it came off itself since it was lying on the bedside table.

The murmur got louder – closer – and stopped at the door.

Loki lazily turned his head and peered at Tony over his shoulder with a small sleepy smile.

“I like your hair better like this,” Tony suddenly said and smirked, nodding in the direction of living room… or maybe some other room Loki didn’t get to see the previous night. “Are you hungry? Of course you’re hungry. Come on, the breakfast has already been served.”

Loki blinked, rubbing at his face.

He must have heard wrong. Tony must have told him to get his things and get the fuck out, not offer him breakfast; it was either that or he was still dreaming.

Or maybe he was lying in coma after some misfortunate encounter with a psychic client, and nothing here was real - it was far too good to be true, and good things didn't happen to Loki.

“I didn't know what you like, so I ordered everything from the menu,” Tony shouted from somewhere, having already left. “Chop chop, it's not going to eat itself!”

Loki shook his head and rolled out of the bed, snagging a bathrobe on his way to what must have been a dining room. Coma-induced fairytale or not, he wasn't going to refuse a free breakfast.

When Tony said he ordered everything from the menu, it appeared, he did mean everything and not a couple of dishes like Loki originally thought (because it made sense - Tony, on the other hand, absolutely did not). Loki gaped at the table a little. There was more food than he sometimes had for a week - and he didn’t exactly starve, so that said something.

He curiously examined a few servings and then picked up a most expensive-looking omelette just because he could before sitting down at the table.

Tony flashed him a brilliant smile and once again turned his attention to the tablet.

“Aren't you going to eat, too?” Loki wondered after a few moments of silence. Tony waved a hand flippantly and raised a cup of coffee.

“I am,” he muttered, and Loki stared at him, putting his fork aside.

“Okay,” Loki said slowly. “Who the hell are you, Mr. Right? You're rich and nice,” he drawled with a hint of sarcasm, “you don't do drugs, obviously, you're not a pervert, you're not trying to make my presence here a big gay secret - I have to admit, I'm at a loss,” he mockingly spread his arms.

At least that got him attention. Tony turned off the tablet and chuckled, downing his coffee in one gulp.

“Yeah, that's my secret - I'm a vampire,” he made a face at Loki and snapped his teeth. Loki just rolled his eyes, unimpressed.

He couldn't decide whether to be annoyed because he couldn't figure Tony, and it was driving him mad, or to let his curiosity get the best of him - he wasn't the one to stick his nose in other people business, usually, not to say he generally disliked the majority of people, but Tony... Tony was something. He was unpredictable and made no sense at all, and with every passing moment it was frustrating Loki more and more.

“I'm not nice,” Tony finally said and reached for a toast, nibbling on the crust - probably just to have something in his hands and maybe to put Loki a little bit more at ease. "Anything but, actually, ask anyone. But it was sweet of you to say that."

Loki grunted and poked his cooling omelette.

“Right, because that explains everything. You're a maniac, then? Kill people for fun and take their money, or what?”

Maybe it was just his imagination, but this time Tony's smirk seemed strained.

“Not quite,” he admitted. “I make weapons."

Loki blinked. Tony that made weapons... It rang some bell, but he's never been that interested in this sphere, so he brushed the thought away.

“I see,” he said to break the silence and shrugged. “Well, that's cool. At least you're not a maniac; I feel much better now.” Loki grinned and pushed aside his plate, remembering a thought from the night before. “Do you mind if I use your bathroom before I go?”

Tony grinned right back at him and shook his head.

“Spoil yourself.”

~*~

So obviously Loki didn't recognize him, or didn't know who he was at all; not that it mattered much, but Tony found that to be a nice change. Most people either bent over themselves to get in his good graces or barely contained their hatred; to have some company that was neither and didn't care about his business was... great.

Tony briefly wondered what it must say about his life if the most pleasant company he’s had for months turned out to be a hooker and if the said hooker was probably one of the most honest people he’s met. Loki was here for his money, true – but a, he stated it from the beginning, and b, he didn’t try to seduce Tony with promises of something more in order to get more money.

So, yeah, he was honest about it, and that, at least, deserved some respect.

“Tony? Are you even listening to me?”

“M-hm,” Tony hummed into the phone. A lie, of course, but Obie knew him better than that, so what did he expect?

He drummed his fingers on the tabletop. Blah blah blah don’t forget about the meeting blah blah blah it’s important to stay your ground blah blah –

“…will find you a date for tonight, okay? You should distract him, so a hot date would be just what you need. So I’ll pick somebody…”

Tony sat straighter, suddenly wishing he paid more attention.

“Whoa – wait a second here, Obie, I don’t – if I need a date, I can find it myself.”

Obie was silent for a moment and then let out a small chuckle. Even through the phone it seemed fake; Tony made a grimace.

“Sure you do. But let me take care of it for you, Tony? Tell you what, you say which hair color is in favor for you today, and I…”

“No,” he stated firmly, standing from his place at the table. The idea that suddenly struck him was probably crazy, but that was alright – Tony has always loved crazy. He grinned, slowly walking to the slightly opened bathroom door. He pushed it open just a little more and smiled at what he saw inside.

Loki occupied the huge tub, completely covered with foam and absolutely happy if the look on his face was any indication; he was listening an mp3 player and humming softly to himself with the lines of some song, his bare knee bent and twitching with its rhythm.

“No?” Obie asked, confused; Tony could hear the frown in his voice, and his smile grew wider.

“No,” he repeated. “I already have a date, you don’t have to worry.”

“Tony…”

“Trust me, it will be fine,” Tony sighed, slightly irritated, and finished the call before Obie could say anything else.

Loki seemed to feel his presence and opened first one eye, then both; then pulled the headphones from his ears and lifted his eyebrows in question.

“Say,” Tony said lightly, approaching him, “how much time exactly are you willing to spend with the same client, hm?”

“It depends,” Loki answered carefully, tilting his head to one side and watching him curiously. “How much are you willing to pay and what do you expect me to do for this money?”

“Let’s say,” Tony thought about it for a moment, trying to recall all the upcoming events here where he might need (or want) a date. “Five days, till the end of this week? Basically I’m offering you a lift to an escort service. I need you to dress up, smile sweetly, laugh at stupid jokes and pretend to be a boring, but charming asshole among even more boring, but far less charming assholes. So what do you say? How much will it cost me?”

The flabbergasted look on Loki’s face was worth any sum of money he was going to ask for. Tony smirked, sitting on the floor beside the tub and playing with the wet strands of Loki’s hair. It was curling in the humid air of bathroom; Tony immediately decided that it was the most adorable thing ever and that it was a crime to hide it under the wig, which was nice, but seemed now ugly comparing with Loki’s natural dark hair. He looked far more… real this way; not just a bright toy for one night.

Yesterday Tony hardly had any difficulties believing that Loki was a hooker, but right now? Right now Loki looked nothing like a cheap whore. Maybe a little like a man so bored with his life that he would pretend to be one; or maybe Tony knew nothing about street whores. He never had one before, after all – never needed to spend money on sex he could have for free any time he wished.

Loki studied his face for a few moments.

“You’re serious,” he finally concluded, face completely blank.

“I am,” Tony agreed smugly.

“You’re crazy.”

“Is that a no?”

“It’s ‘it will cost you five thousand’,” Loki drawled, running both hands through his hair and narrowing his eyes, as if daring Tony to say – what?

Money was not an issue, but obviously he didn’t get it.

“It was five hundred for a night,” Tony countered with a small smile. “So you’re asking for twice as much money as it should be.”

“But _you’re_ asking for twice as much time,” Loki retorted with a smirk of his own. “So that’s legit. Second thoughts?”

“I’m not asking for a sex-marathon, so why does a day cost as much as night? Three thousand.”

“Because it’s still my time, and I could make more money in it if I wasn’t here. Four.”

“Deal,” Tony agreed easily, biting back a laugh and offering Loki a hand to shake.

Loki stared at him blankly for a moment, and then suddenly disappeared under the water.

“I can’t believe you,” he breathed out once he resurfaced again, brushing wet hair away from his face and grinning. “You’re completely insane.”

Then he grabbed still outstretched hand and pulled Tony closer, fingers trailing down the row of buttons on his shirt. Tony chuckled, leaning closer.

“I will be worth every last cent,” Loki purred. “Trust me, you’re making a huge mistake here, because after this week you’ll never let me go.”

Oh, Tony liked him. He laughed and got up, shaking his head.

“I think I’ll manage,” he teased, turning to leave the bathroom.

He decided not to think about a nagging feeling that told him – maybe Loki was right.

Because he kind of already didn’t want him to leave.

~*~

Buy something nice, Tony said. Something conservative (boring, Loki thought to himself), but elegant.

Loki felt his pocket for the hundredth time, checking that the ridiculous amount of cash Tony gave him before leaving was still there, and critically looked at the glass window of some fancy-ass shop.

It’s not that he’s never wore a suit before – just not of the same… quality, and truth to be told, he didn’t have enough occasions to wear one anyway, so the last time he tried on a suit must have been when he was a teen.

A lot has happened since then. Now that he was a hooker he needed a suit even less than before (or so it seemed, but then came Tony and turned everything upside down, huh), so naturally, Loki felt a little bit out of his element among such shops.

Then again, maybe it wasn’t the shops themself that made him nervous, but their price category.

He took a deep breath, smoothed his hair (which refused to be tamed after the bath and was now falling in soft waves on his shoulders – he hated it like this and almost wished Tony didn’t hid his wig ‘just in case’) and came into the shop that attracted his attention.

Loki could tell it was a mistake just as the bell on the door rang and the shop assistant turned to greet a new customer with a saccharine-sweet smile on her face, which almost immediately transformed into a mask of disdain at the sight of him.

She looked him over and scoffed, but a second later she was smiling again – and somehow the new smile was even more fake than the first one.

“Can I help you?” She asked sweetly; Loki cringed at the mocking tone and lifted his chin slightly.

“Actually, yes,” he gritted out. “I need a suit – a nice one, so…”

“I’m afraid we don’t have anything you might like,” she said almost before he started talking. Loki blinked; a sweet smile on the girl’s face became steel, and she shook her head in a mock regret. “Sorry.”

He quirked an eyebrow and nodded at one of the suits on the showcase.

“No need to be afraid. I quite like that one, why don’t we try it on?”

“It won’t fit you.”

“That’s why I said ‘try it’…”

“It’s _not for you_.”

Loki jerked his head in the direction of a new voice – probably a manager; a woman so much like the first one they could be sisters, or was it just the same expression on their faces?

The same expression of mild annoyance and scorn.

“Listen, I have money –”

“Good for you,” the manager interrupted him. “And it will be even better if you leave now, before we have to call security.”

Loki gaped and glared at them for a moment, and then rushed to the street, shutting the door close with a crash in his anger.

It was ridiculous. He was an adult man; it was none of their business how he looked – their business was to sell him a damned suit, tight jeans and a shirt two sizes smaller and a telling hickey on his neck didn’t mean he didn’t have money to pay for it.

Quite on the opposite, in fact – because of all that he had more than enough money to pay for it _and_ for half of the other assortment in the shop.

Well, probably. He didn’t chance to look at the price tags.

Nevertheless, he’s just got kicked out of the least intimidating-looking shop on the street; he looked at the other glass windows ruefully and turned away.

He _did_ warn Tony it was a waste of money and time, never mind that the money was still intact.

When he got back to the hotel, he felt tired, humiliated and – though he would never admit as much – miserable.

And one thing he knew for sure, one thing that never failed to happen?

It could _always_ get worse.

“Excuse me, sir, can I help you?” A friendly, but firm voice asked.

And now, to add up to his brilliant luck, he was going to get kicked out of the hotel as well – and when Tony returned and found him on the bench outside (if not at the police station), Tony was going to dump him because Loki probably ruined his dinner since he couldn’t find a suit and goodbye four-thousand deal.

At least he still had five hundred from the last night. Hooray.

“I was just going to the… my room,” he said tiredly, not really in the mood to try and explain anything to the hotel manager.

The aging man looked at him curiously with a slight doubt in his eyes – which never found a way to his face, though. Point for him, Loki thought bitterly.

“You’re a guest here?”

“I’m staying with Tony. Penthouse?” he tried, and suddenly the manager’s expression changed from calm, but determined to surprised and slightly confused.

One short trip to the receptionist desk to confirm it later it turned out that yes, Phil could, indeed, help him, because ‘Mr.Stark’, obviously, was a big shot, and his ‘friend’ was to be treated nicely.

Less than an hour later Loki had a suit, a pair of shoes and a neckerchief (“It looks better on you than a bowtie”, the lady that Phil assigned to help him stated) ready for the evening, and the day was once again starting to seem more like a fairytale than his usual life.

~*~

“You look stunning,” Tony said, taking Loki’s hand in his and lifting it to his mouth.

“I can tell from the way you stare at me,” Loki snorted, trying to hide his blush at the blatant sign of affection. “It was either that or I had something on my face, and I checked my reflection twice before leaving.”

He didn’t want to admit he was nervous. Why would he be nervous? It’s not like he’s never been in a restaurant so fancy one had to wait for a month in line to get a table and where he could probably only afford a glass of water – if he saved enough money.

Oh, right.

He’s never been in such a restaurant.

He was here with Tony, though, and his only mission was, as Tony put it, to smile nicely and laugh at appropriate places, and that he could do.

So he did.

Yinsen, the man Tony – they – were having dinner with, turned out to be a very nice and sweet person, which was great, but not what Loki expected; he thought he was going to feel inadequate in company of some arrogant rich bastard, but in fact he felt bad for the man. It seemed it was him who ended up being uncomfortable between Loki’s smooth talking and Tony…

Probably being Tony – Loki couldn’t really tell for sure since he didn’t know him enough to make such conclusions.

One thing he did find out, though: when Tony said he wasn’t a nice man, he meant it.

“Your practice makes us look bad,” he said jokingly, waving his fork in the air. “Big bad guys hurting poor innocent people.”

“I can’t help it if it’s true,” Yinsen softly disagreed, lifting the round glasses higher on the bridge of his nose. “You – your weapons – do hurt lots of people, mister Stark. Many of them are innocent.”

“We’re protecting people,” Now Tony’s voice was steel, and Loki felt a shiver down his back. “We maintain peace. You don’t like the means that provide it? Too bad your practice gets military funding you must hate so much.”

“Be that as it may,” Yinsed pushed his plate away and folded his hands on the table in front of him, “I still don’t get it why we’re here. It’s not like my practice affects you or your company somehow, mister Stark.”

“Oh, but it does,” Tony flipped his hand, leaning back. “You see, your lovely hospital with its lovely idea of pacifism makes it look like we do more harm to our own people than good to the whole country. Long story short, it doesn’t befit our image here; so I’d like to buy out your hospital. You name the price, I sign the check and pay for the dinner, and we both leave this place happy and satisfied and, in your case, a few million richer.”

A few million? Loki wondered if he shouldn’t have paid attention to the conversation, but there was little else to do, so he couldn’t miss the fact that Tony has just said…

Well. He cast a half-glance and a smile at Loki, probably noticing how his eyes bulged, and Loki smiled back weakly.

So for him, it wasn’t a big deal.

At least now Loki no longer felt guilty for asking so much money for his services.

“You can’t just buy a…”

“I can buy whatever I want. I can do anything I want, in fact. The only question is money.”

“You’re a clever man, mister Stark. You must know it’s not that easy.”

“I am a clever man,” Tony agreed, nodding to the waiter who took their plates and placed desserts in front of them. Loki silently dug a small spoon into the ball of an ice cream. “And that’s why I know precisely how easy it is.”

“Money doesn’t define everything,” Yinsen sighed, leaning back as well and showing no interest in his dessert.

Tony’s face immediately grew bored.

“That means you’re not going to say yes tonight,” he concluded.

“I’m not going to agree to your offer, no – not tonight, not later. Sorry.”

“Oh, but you are,” Tony grinned and pointed his own teaspoon at him. “You just don’t know it yet. Think about it, though; for now I offer you to name your price. Later you won’t have that option and will probably lose a lot of money.”

Yinsen smiled tightly and nodded before excusing himself.

Loki watched Tony carefully.

“Well,” Tony chirped, not looking up from his ice cream. “That went well, didn’t it?”

~*~

“Why buy the hospital?” Loki wondered when they were back at the hotel room. He undressed carefully, mindful of the expensive suit; Tony just shrugged off his own jacket and let it fall on the floor of the living room.

“They specify on helping people who suffered from the US army,” Tony grunted, walking to the bar to get himself a glass of whisky, with which he went to the balcony. “As I said, simply put, it makes us – my company – look bad. Our stocks fall. We lose money.”

Loki hummed in agreement, watching the tense line of Tony’s back.

“But you like him,” he said softly after a pause. Tony turned to look at him over his shoulder. “You like Yinsen, don’t you?”

That was the only reason he could think of for Tony to offer Yinsen to name his own price. He wasn’t too disappointed by the refusal, so he must’ve had a backup plan – some leverage – but at the same time he certainly didn’t look too happy that now he had to use it.

“It doesn’t matter,” Tony sighed at last, downing his whisky and setting the glass aside. “It’s my job, Loki. It's business. There's no emotion involved in business.”

“Oh, I think I can relate,” Loki chuckled, stepping closer and stroking his back. “It’s the most important part of my job as well, you know. Don’t get emotional, don’t get involved – just do your job.”

“Yeah,” Tony turned to face him, leaning against the railing. “That’s right. Basically we do the same job – screw people for money.”

Loki couldn’t help but laugh, and he didn’t like the slight twist his stomach gave at that in the slightest.

_No emotions, my ass. You’re supposed to be a professional!_

Was it something that Tony saw in his expression or his own thoughts, but Tony’s smile faltered as well, and with one last look at the city beneath them he went back to the room.

“I think I’ll go down to unwind,” he said.

“Want me to help you?” Loki tried, but Tony shook his head.

“Enjoy your night off,” he said softly and left.

Loki finished undressing, folding his pants and shirt neatly, took a quick shower and settled in front of the TV, mindlessly switching the channels.

What the hell did he get himself into?..

He repeated the question two hours later, standing in the doors of a bar on the first floor of the hotel, watching Tony playing the piano.

And then repeated it again when Tony pulled him close and pressed his head into Loki’s stomach before wrapping his arms around Loki’s thighs and lifting him to sit on the piano, at the same time tugging the belt of his bathrobe free.

His only answer was the soft sounds the piano gave with their every movement.

~*~

“Are you going to stay here all day?”

“Why not? It’s a nice room; in fact, I think I can just stay in the bathroom forever. Besides, it’s not like I have anything better to do.”

Tony seemed to think about it and then shrugged, poking the end of his tongue from his mouth in concentration as he tried to defeat the knot of his tie. Loki rolled his eyes and walked to him, batting his hands aside and tying it into a neat Windsor.

“Didn’t take you for a guy who wears ties,” Tony muttered, examining the knot in the mirror.

“I don’t,” Loki huffed. “Slept with a politic, had a lot of practice.”

Tony blinked, expression partly disgusted and partly confused, and Loki snorted, waving him off.

“I happen to have an utterly helpless idiot for a brother who is even less likely to wear a tie on his own, but had to on many occasions.”

He surprised himself speaking about it, but somehow it came naturally, and he didn’t freak out remembering his foster family – probably because it was Tony he was talking to, and with Tony everything was weird and not like it used to be.

Tony nodded and smiled thankfully.

“Speaking of ties – why didn’t you get yourself anything else? I mean, I didn’t think you’d only get one suit.”

Loki cringed – and of course Tony _had_ to notice it, and suddenly the concerned look in his eyes was so worth admitting the humiliation he felt the previous day.

He has never had anyone take him to shopping before, but had to admit that it was one hell of experience (which had everything to do with being obscenely pampered and nothing to do with Tony being the one who spent ridiculous amounts of money on him).

And the priceless looks on the saleswomen faces at the same store Loki had been kicked out from and couldn’t resist the temptation to visit again to remind them of yesterday’s incident made his day ten times better.

~*~

“Have you always been this rich, Mister Billionaire?”

Tony chuckled and let his head fall onto Loki’s shoulder. The glories of a huge tub, Loki thought; they easily fit together in it, chest to back, and there was still enough place to shift around if they got uncomfortable.

“Kind of,” Tony said. “I mean, at first my father was rich. And then me.”

Loki hummed, massaging his scalp and stroking his shoulder. Tony wasn’t any less mysterious to him now as he was three days ago – and it would’ve been weird if it was any other way – but he did learn some things about him, and the more he knew, the more he wanted to know more.

This question, however, seemed to have struck a nerve. Loki was all too familiar with the strained tone and the slight tensing in shoulders at the mention of one’s father.

“I never had much choice,” Tony continued. “I mean, I was his heir, I had to take his place sooner or later anyway, and it didn’t matter if I wanted to. I did, though – just not for the obvious reason. I wanted to impress him – for him to be proud, just once – and then the old bastard goes and kicks the bucket.” He laughed a little – a bitter and self-deprecating laugh that made Loki hold him tighter. “You can’t imagine how angry I was – I don’t think I would’ve chosen some other path, dear ol’ dad or not, if I’m honest, but at that moment it just seemed that all of this was in vain. I could’ve been anyone else with the same result – he wasn’t there anymore for me to impress him or maybe, just maybe, to praise me for anything. Yeah, I was angry. Spent a fortune on therapists just to tell them how angry I was.”

“Did it help?” Loki asked softly, hugging him closer to his chest. Tony turned his head and nuzzled his neck, relaxing a little.

“I think so. I’m not so angry anymore – after all, that’s the other side of the coin: there’s no one to be angry at.”

“I’m sorry,” Loki said earnestly.

He was right. It _was_ familiar. Maybe not exactly the same – but he knew the feeling.

“I was adopted,” he suddenly admitted, inspired, wishing to offer a piece of himself in gratitude for Tony opening to him. “My… foster parents… have never told me. I found out accidentally – turned out my father took me in as some sort of a deal with his old acquaintance, I don’t know all the details. And it all suddenly made sense – how my brother have always been the favorite one, how I was never good enough… When I say ‘found out’ I mean that he screamed it at me in a rage fit because my brother wasn’t at home and I couldn’t do something right. As usual,” he huffed with sarcasm. “So I fled. From here to there. It was tough and I barely managed, and just when I was about to give up, I met Darcy, and here I am.”

They were silent for a few minutes; finally Tony kissed the side of Loki’s neck, and Loki laughed softly.

“Oh, don’t you dare pity me,” he flicked Tony’s before leaning down to trail the shell with the tip of his tongue. “I never said I didn’t like it. And hey; you have nothing to complain as well,” Loki stretched a little and wrapped his legs around Tony’s waist, taking his hands and entwining their fingers. “Did I mention my leg is forty-four inches from hip to toe? I think to have eighty-eight inches of that wrapped around you is a far better therapy than anything else you’ve ever paid for.”

“You know, I think you just might be right,” Tony agreed easily, and when he reached out to cup his face, Loki leaned down and allowed Tony to kiss him.

Professionalism and keeping emotions aside be damned.

~*~

Loki knew it couldn’t last, of course.

His life was not a fairytale; the five days he spent with Tony were as close to it as it could ever get, but as marvelous as they were, it was stupid of him to forget who and what he really was.

“You could – you know,” Tony said on the day before he was leaving to New York. “Come with me. I’ll rent you apartments, and…”

Probably it must have sounded great – awesome – but for Loki it was a bucket of cold water.

He didn’t want to be a kept boy.

What _did_ he want, then?

Tony was offering him a lot – much more than he could ask for or could even dream of, and yet…

No, it certainly wasn’t what he wanted. What he wanted he will never have, because they were not _equals_ – as cheap as that sounds; he was a hooker and Tony was a billionaire, he had a company to attend to and a life that had no place for the ones like him.

Besides, he hated to depend on someone and didn’t want to be a nuisance.

Oh, and if it hurt to realize that? Well, that was his own damn fault – getting attached when he knew it was the single most important thing _not_ to do.

So he shook his head and lifted his hand to stop Tony from talking.

“No,” he smiled and hoped it didn’t look as strained as it felt. “Thank you, but no, I can’t.”

_It’s not a fairytale._

Tony looked almost hurt for a moment, but then slowly nodded and shrugged.

It still hurt.

He _could_ have it – a nice apartment in New York, expensive clothes and Tony Stark as a lover, and so what if it wasn’t a happily ever after with the prince falling for princess and taking her into his world?

Loki wasn’t a princess, after all, so it made sense that he could only get a nice place in the front row, but not a leading role. Considering he wouldn’t be able to afford such a place on his own, it was already too much to ask for.

And yet… all or nothing, right?

It was a good thing Tony didn’t ask him again.

“I would have stayed for two and a half thousand,” Loki joked as he was leaving the room the next day.

Tony chuckled, helping him with the bags, and smiled.

“I would have given you five.”

Loki should have called him a bastard for that, and a few days ago he would’ve done just that, but now the words stuck in his throat, and he could only roll his eyes in a weak attempt to laugh it off.

 _I would have stayed for free if you asked_.

~*~

“I can’t believe you,” Darcy scowled, hands on her hips. “I can’t fucking believe you! You make a fortune being a hooker and decide to quit?! You’re insane. I don’t know you.”

Loki mock-glared at her, continuing to gather his things all around their tiny flat. Granted, there weren’t too many – most of his belongings came from Tony now, and among the others there were few he truly valued.

“What happened with ‘We sleep with lots of people anyway so why not make a job out of it’?” Darcy continued to whine, and Loki bit his tongue, knowing better than to argue with her.

Maybe it was stupid of him; it most probably was stupid of him – she was right, of course, he was better off here; the chance to come closer to Tony's social circle was almost non-existent, and him deciding to go to college all of a sudden wasn't going to change anything, but still.

Loki was doing it for himself, anyway, not for Tony. Maybe because of him - because Tony made him realize that he wanted to be something more than just a street whore or someone's kept boy, but not because he was naïve so much as to hope to meet Tony again one day when he was a different person.

Darcy stopped whining and opted instead to glare at him from the spot on her bed where she kept his things captives in vain hope that it would stop Loki from leaving the flat.

Loki sighed and decided it was his turn to speak.

“Okay, first – I didn’t make a fortune being a hooker. I made a fortune because I met Tony Stark.”

“And then made a fool of yourself when you let him leave like that,” Darcy grumbled, pouting at him.

“I am _not_ going to live on his account!” he argued hotly, and Darcy rolled her eyes, clasping her hand in a ‘shut up’ motion.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve already heard that one, you proud ass. So what’s your second point?”

Loki hesitated for a moment and shook his head, turning away to continue his packing.

“Come on, are you really going to stop taking money from people you have sex with just because… Oh my god,” she gasped suddenly. “Oh my god, you don’t want to sleep with other people!”

He shrugged, uncomfortable under her piercing stare, and scowled.

“So what if I don’t,” he muttered stubbornly.

Darcy moaned.

“Good god, Loki, you’re _such_ an idiot. I _knew_ you crushed on him, but man, you have it hard. Worse than I thought it was. So…”

“So nothing!” Loki snapped, and Darcy actually shut up for once – he almost felt bad when he turned to glare at her.

She glared right back, so it took some guilt off him.

“It doesn’t matter, anyway,” he huffed. “Maybe I like him. Maybe I don’t. Maybe I’m… whatever, what’s the point?”

The point was, of course, that Tony never once offered him to stay just like that, hadn’t even thought of it, obviously – he saw Loki for what he was and offered him what he could offer to a whore.

And so it didn’t matter that maybe he was in love with Tony Stark; Tony Stark didn’t want him as Loki and didn’t see him as anything else than a hooker he picked up on a street.

Darcy opened her mouth, and Loki cringed mentally, expecting something harsh with a hint of pitying, but it never came.

What came instead was a shout from the street – right below their window, in fact; they both froze at the sound of Loki’s name, and the next moment Loki was already leaning out of the window up to his waist.

“Loki!”

Right there, only two stories away from him, was Tony Stark, climbing the fire escape and grinning smugly.

“What are you doing here?” Loki yelled back, too shocked to believe his eyes; somewhere behind him Darcy snickered and pushed him a little. He took a hint and hurriedly climbed onto the stairs as well, getting down to meet Tony sooner.

“Well, I tried to be a nice man you took me for – I really did,” Tony said, catching Loki in his arms as soon as they were on the same level and laughing. “You said you didn’t want to go with me and I though, fine, I should respect your choice. So I really tried. But I’m not a nice man, Loki,” he smiled, and Loki fought the urge to pinch his arm just to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. “And I always get what I want. And I want you.”

Maybe it was stupid; maybe he was dreaming and maybe he wasn’t and it was a mistake – Loki didn’t care at that moment. He cupped Tony’s face and kissed him for what it’s worth.

“Does it mean you’re still renting me an apartment?” he asked softly when they broke apart, trailing his fingers over Tony’s face; Tony caught his wrist and kissed his palm before pressing it to his cheek, scraping it with his stubble a little.

“Nope,” he said cheerfully, but before Loki could pull away in confusion continued, “that was your first option, you refused – your loss. You’re living with me now – and no complaints: I did try to give you some freedom first.”

Loki laughed, incredulous.

“You’re impossible,” he said, warmth pooling in his chest. Tony grinned and nodded, pulling him closer; Loki closed his eyes and nuzzled into his neck happily.

If it was a fairytale, he never wanted it to end.


End file.
